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The best ski resorts for powder

St Anton, Austria

Best for: Serious off piste and serious partying

St Anton is a big name resort, and there’s nowhere quite like it for those who like to ski hard, party hard and burn the candle at both ends. The place gets prodigious amounts of snow and usually has much better conditions than other resorts of a similar height. A bonus is that the resort is traditional in style and an attractive place to spend time off the slopes.

The area boasts countless powder opportunities. The runs in the huge bowl beneath the summit of the Valluga are justifiably world-famous, and in good snow this whole area is an off-piste delight for experts. There’s more great backcountry in the Stuben sector and on the separate Rendl mountain (accessed from the town centre by a gondola). Descents of 1,000m vertical are possible, including some on north-facing slopes where the powder stays deep and light. Piste to Powder is a specialist off-piste guiding school run by British guide Graham Austick, and the local St Anton and Arlberg ski schools also have excellent off-piste guides.

Off-piste skiing in St Anton Credit:
Josef Mallaun

St Anton’s bars rock right through from mid-afternoon until the early hours. Après starts in a collection of bars on the slopes above the village. The Krazy Kanguruh and the Mooserwirt fill up with revellers as soon as the lunch trade finishes (the latter reputedly dispensing more beer than any other bar in Austria). The Heustadl and Sennhütte are also popular. All the partying is followed by a slide down the piste in the dark.

But…

Slopes don’t suit beginners or timid intermediates; pistes can get very crowded, sometimes dangerously so; most of the tough stuff is off piste; main slopes get a lot of sun, which can affect snow conditions; resort is spread out, with long treks from some lodgings to key lifts and bars.

Fast facts

Chamonix, France

Best for: Stunning views, traditional mountain town

Chamonix is renowned as an extreme sports mecca, with some of the best powder fields in the world, and there’s plenty for those looking for their first off-piste experience too. But it’s not just the varied terrain that makes Chamonix a stand-out resort – it’s worth visiting just for the stunning views and year-round mountain town.

Chamonix is world-famous for the extent and variety of its off piste. A classic excursion is the Vallée Blanche, a mind-blowing 24km run through stunning glacial scenery. It is perfectly within the capability of a fit (and brave) intermediate, and is easily reached by the Aiguille du Midi cable car in town, though the walk down a ridge to the start is scary. The Grands Montets area, reached by lifts from Argentière (about 10km up the valley from town), has huge amounts of easily accessible off piste, while the Vallée Blanche and Grands Montets areas have very high north-facing slopes. If the weather’s bad you can head to Les Houches for powder among the trees. Here and the Balme area have ideal terrain for trying powder for the first time. There’s plenty of easier off piste in the vast bowls served by the Herse chair and Bochard bubble on the Grands Montets too.

Chamonix is world famous for the variety of its off pisteCredit:
M Dalmasso

The Chamonix valley cuts deeply through Europe’s highest mountains and glaciers. Views of the towering, jagged peaks and tumbling glaciers are stunning, both from the mountains and the town. The best place to see Mont Blanc, the Alps’ highest peak, is from the Brévent ski area across the valley. And no one should miss a trip up the Aiguille du Midi cable car for the stunning views.

Chamonix could not be more different from the typical purpose-built French resort. It’s a bustling town, busy with climbers in summer as well as skiers and boarders in winter. The car-free centre is full of atmosphere, with cobbled streets and squares, beautiful old buildings and pavement cafés, and a wide choice of accommodation.

But…

Several separate mountains; pistes in each area are quite limited; bad weather can shut the best runs; still some old lifts and queues; few good mountain restaurants; busy town with lots of road traffic.

Fast facts

Verbier, Switzerland

Best for: Steep slopes and lively nightlife

For serious off-piste powder and long mogul fields, Verbier is one of the world’s cult resorts. It’s difficult to beat for vibrant nightlife too. It’s a sprawling, chalet-style resort with lots of second homes and luxurious places to stay, set on a sunny shelf facing spectacular peaks.

Verbier has some superb tough slopes, many of them off piste. The run off the back of Mont Fort, the high point of the ski area, is a highlight – a huge bowl with lots of ways down through untracked powder, giving a feeling of splendid isolation. The Stairway to Heaven run starts with a steep climb before you drop into a deserted valley, which usually has excellent snow. And there are plenty of other options.

Most runs that would be black in many resorts are classed as itineraries here, meaning they’re marked but not maintained or controlled, but they are used as if they were normal pistes. Two of them, from Chassoure and Col de Gentianes down to Tortin, become huge mogul fields from top to bottom. Vallon d’Arby, from Lac des Vaux to La Tzoumaz, is less popular but still quite an adventure, with patches of untracked powder several days after a snowfall. Heliskiing is available too. Powder Extreme specialises in off-piste guiding and coaching, the British-run New Generation ski school offers all-day Off Piste Experience groups and Warren Smith Ski Academy offers powder and freeride coaching from one-day private lessons to five-day courses.

Verbier has earned a reputation as a cult off-piste destination

Bruson is a small north-facing ski area covered by the lift pass and reached by catching the gondola from town down to Le Châble in the valley, followed by another that whisks you to the middle of the Bruson ski area. It’s well worth the trip for great tree runs that resemble Canadian heliskiing, with well-spaced trees and steep slopes. Snow is usually excellent thanks to the northerly aspect. The trees mean Bruson is a good place to be when it’s snowing and a whiteout on Verbier’s main slopes.

Verbier is as famous for its après scene as it is for its slopes. There are lots of bars and clubs, from the British-dominated Pub Mont Fort to the sophisticated Crock No Name, or the seriously expensive Farm Club.

But…

Snow quality can be poor on sunny lower slopes; intermediates may want to take lifts down to avoid steep intineraries; eating and drinking can be costly; piste map and piste naming could be improved.

Fast facts

Whistler, BC, Canada

Best for: Big ski are with terrain to suit all

Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains together form the biggest ski area, with the longest runs and greatest vertical, in North America. They're linked at resort level and at mid-mountain by the spectacular 28-person Peak 2 Peak gondola. Both mountains have lots of excellent terrain for every standard from beginner through to real expert. And most lifts are gondolas or high-speed chairlifts.

Over the last 10 years Whistler has received an average of almost 12m of snow a year. On the upper slopes, this usually falls as light, dry powder, which makes the place a dream for powder hounds. Experts will love the endless variation in the vast, go-anywhere terrain of Whistler Mountain’s top bowls with their couloirs, gullies and cliffs, as well as open bowls. Blackcomb’s steep slopes are not as extensive but equally satisfying. For intermediates, there is mile after mile of groomed cruising – plus in Whistler’s most recently opened area, Symphony, there are lovely gentle slopes among widely spaced trees.

North America's biggest resort doesn't disappoint when it comes to powder

Extremely Canadian specialises in guiding around the resort’s steep and deep terrain, and offers two-day camps three times a week, plus Whistler Heli-skiing organises great heli-days.

The big news is that Vail Resorts, which already operates 11 resorts in North America and one in Australia, is set to acquire Whistler at the beginning of this season – but it's unlikely that there will be any noticeable changes for skiers until 2017/18.

But…

Rain at village level is not unusual; lift queues and crowded runs can be a problem; mountain restaurants are mostly functional and overcrowded.

Fast facts

Snowbird/Alta, Utah, USA

Best for: Fabulous steep and deep

There can be few places where nature has combined the steep with the deep better than at Snowbird and next-door Alta. The two resorts’ linked area is one of the top powder paradises in the world. Note that both resorts offer their own lift passes as well as a combined pass – and that Alta is one of the few resorts in the world that still does not allow snowboarding on its slopes. Although the two ski areas have been linked for well over 10 years now, a lot of locals remain fiercely loyal to one resort or the other and just buy a season pass for a single area – very odd to European eyes.

Both Snowbird and Alta receive an average of over 12m of snow a year – around 50 per cent more than the nearby Park City area and twice as much as some Colorado resorts.

Snowbird averages more than 12m of snow a yearCredit:
Matt Crawley

There is every type of expert terrain in Snowbird/Alta, from open bowls to trees and couloirs. It’s worth hiring a guide, as many of the best and most adventurous runs are reached by traverses that are far from obvious if you don’t know the terrain. And, unlike most North American resorts, Alta doesn’t discriminate on its piste map between single and the more challenging double black diamond terrain – so you don’t know what you’re letting yourself in for. Snowbird does differentiate between double and single black diamond runs, and there are some seriously steep couloirs on its front face.

Both resorts have ski schools that run special sessions in the steep and deep terrain. Alta has Off-Trail Workshops every afternoon, which guide you round the whole mountain and show you the parts normally only discovered by locals. There are also four-day Powder Tracks clinics, run by the Alta Lodge chalet, which are aimed at teaching powder skiing and include accommodation. Snowbird runs half-day Mountain Workshops for skiers and snowboarders, which include powder skills, and occasional two-day Sidecountry Camps for skiers, described as “backcountry skiing without all the hard work”.

Fast facts

Tignes, France

Best for: A long, snow-sure season

Tignes and neighbouring Val d’Isère share a vast ski area, which is one of the best in the world for lift-served off piste. Tignes in particular is one of the most snowsure resorts in the world. Its main season lasts from November till May, and the glacier opens again from mid-June till early August for summer skiing and snowboarding.

The off-piste possibilities are almost endless. Val d'Isère-Tignes is famous for having a huge number of accessible off-piste runs. Classics in Tignes include Tour de Pramecou from the Grande Motte glacier (lots of variations to suit different abilities), Oreilles de Mickey from Tovière, which includes three long couloirs, and the Vallons de la Sache (an off-piste version of La Sache), which runs through stunning National Park scenery. There’s plenty more, plus all the possibilities in Val d’Isère.

Tignes' altitude ensures a long, snow-sure seasonCredit:
Andy Parant

The British-run New Generation ski school offers all-day off-piste courses for between three and six experienced skiers, plus Snoworks offer week-long all-terrain courses.

But…

Resort centres have some ugly block-like buildings; treeless setting means lifts can close in bad weather.

Fast facts

Warth Schröcken, Austria

Best for: Getting the most snow in Europe

Warth and Schröcken were relatively unheard of before a gondola linked these two neighbouring resorts to better-known and more fashionable Lech and Zürs over the hill, back in 2013. Warth averages an astonishing (for Europe) 11m of snow a year – almost as much as North America’s snowiest resorts.

North-facing slopes mean lovely powdery pistes and acres of fabulous off-piste powder. Warth makes a more convenient base – it’s a drive or bus ride to the lifts from Schröcken, although there are slopes back down to the resort.

Warth has north-facing, powdery pistes and lots of off-piste options

But…

It’s quiet – too quiet for many; little to do off the slopes.

Fast facts

Revelstoke, BC, Canada

Best for: Challenging terrain and cult-status kudos

Revelstoke was, up until the last decade, a small hill for locals served by one short lift. But a gondola and two fast chairs transformed it into a resort with the biggest vertical in North America, and it gets huge amounts of powder. Terrain is mostly ungroomed and steep. The ski school runs Inside Tracks sessions where they show you around the steep and deep, and cat-skiing and heliskiing are also available.

If you enjoy adventure, put it on your shortlist. You can stay in Revelstoke town, or the newer resort village.

Revelstoke has steep terrain and gets vast amounts of powder

But…

Very remote; not much intermediate terrain.

Fast facts

Val d'Anniviers, Switzerland

Best for: Rustic villages and uncrowded slopes

If you like ancient, unspoilt mountain villages with small, varied ski areas attached, get to Val d’Anniviers before the big tour operators catch on. The slopes are limited but uncrowded, with a good snow record and fabulous off piste to explore.

The resorts of Grimentz and Zinal have the best backcountry in the area, and the two have been linked since 2013/14 by cable car. A long black run, Piste du Chamois, goes back to Grimentz from the top of the cable car and there are lots of off-piste options on the way. Guiding company Mountain Tracks runs five-day courses in the area.

Grimentz has plenty of backcountry options

But…

Very quiet resorts; lots of draglifts and slow chairs.

Fast facts

Fernie, BC, Canada

Best for: Sheltered steeps and expert terrain

Fernie has long had cult status thanks to reliable snowfall (9m a year, on average) and steep, ungroomed terrain. It’s a superb resort for experts, as long as you know where you’re going – a lot of runs are difficult to find and involve long traverses. To get the most out of the terrain, it’s best to get a guided tour. The ski school runs two-day Steep and Deep Camps, and there’s great cat-skiing on offer. The resort village is convenient but small. Fernie town is an alternative base.

But…

Fast facts

Monterosa, Italy

Best for: Great off piste and unspoilt resorts

Monterosa’s three resorts (Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna, each in a different valley) retain a friendly, low-key Italian ambience and share a three-valley network of lifts and pistes which are often deserted mid-week.

For adventurous experts and intermediates, powder is the main attraction. There are varied runs from the high points of the lift system in all three valleys, some excellent heli-drops and great tree slopes lower down. A huge area of fabulous off piste is served by a cable car from Passo Salati to Punta Indren, with runs down towards Gressoney and Alagna. Local guides have a deservedly high reputation.

But…

First tracks

La Grave, France

Best for: Hardcore off-piste terrain

La Grave enjoys cult status among experts. It is a small, characterful old village with around 500 visitor beds and only one serious lift, an ancient gondola that takes you up to 3,200m. This serves an almost entirely off-piste mountainside that is often coated in glorious powder. This is wild territory with glaciated terrain, narrow couloirs, cliffs, steep slopes and places where, if you fall, you may die. There are no pistes back down and only experts should contemplate a stay here. The Bureau des Guides runs daily off-piste groups.

La Grave is the ultimate expert destination

But…

Poor weather means lift closure; nothing to do off the slopes.

Fast facts

Montgenèvre, France

Best for: A big ski area linked to Italy

Set on a pass close to the Italian border, Montgenèvre has a very good snow record and receives big dumps of snow from westerly storms which are funnelled up the valley. It’s not renowned as a resort for powder hounds and is all the better for it, because the off piste here remains untracked long after a storm. As well as great terrain to be explored with a guide, there’s an avalanche-controlled freeride zone of ungroomed slopes. The resort is at one end of the huge Milky Way ski area on the French-Italian border.

Montgenèvre's excellent powder record has managed to stay under the radar Credit:
Annie Bene

But…

Lots of slow lifts and mainly short runs locally; Italian Milky Way resorts are time-consuming to reach.

Fast facts

Niseko, Japan

Best for: Light powder, fantastic food and friendly people

Niseko is the biggest resort on Japan’s north island, Hokkaido. It’s one of the snowiest resorts in the world, receiving an average of 15m of usually dry, light powder every year. Storm after storm comes in from Siberia and dumps day after day – it’s not unusual for snow to fall almost constantly from early December until the end of February. Niseko is one of the few resorts in Japan to allow off-piste access within the ski area, and there are also gates to allow you out into the backcountry.

It’s not unusual for snow to fall constantly from December to February in Niseko

But…

A long journey including a change of planes; small ski area by Alpine standards.

Fast facts

Big White, BC, Canada

Best for: Easy powder slopes and family entertainment

“It’s the snow.” That’s Big White’s slogan, and snow is what you can expect here. Even when the surrounding plains are sunny, Big White is often covered by snow clouds. These snowfalls, combined with the resort’s mostly gentle slopes, make it ideal for learning powder.

The village is purpose built, with most accommodation ski-in/ski-out and an excellent Kids’ Centre. There’s also a lovely area below the main village known as Happy Valley, where you can try winter activities from snowmobiling to dog sledding. All this makes Big White ideal for families.